1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to water recycling systems. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a system in which laundry water is treated and processed so that the same water can be used again and again to do laundry.
2. Background of the Invention
At the present time, facilities such as motels and hotels, for example, do extremely large quantities of laundry on a daily basis. The water costs incurred in such operations is enormous. Further, many motels and hotels, as a result of their huge water use, are exposed to substantial impact fees. These impact fees and costs can literally amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Water recycling systems are known to be in use in conjunction with car and truck washes. One example of such a system is U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,352 entitled xe2x80x9cUniversal Recycled Wash Water Systemxe2x80x9d.
However, systems used to recycle water in truck and car washes would not be appropriate for the re-use of water in laundry facilities.
In light of the extraordinary expenditures which are now being realized in the hotel industry and other laundry-intensive businesses, a great need is seen for a recycling system for laundry waterxe2x80x94so that the same water can be used again and again to minimize costs associated with doing laundry.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a recycling system which will allow the same water to be used over and over again in a laundry or dish washing facility.
Yet another object of the present invention is to minimize water costs associated with doing laundry or dish washing.
Still another object of the present invention is to minimize energy costs associated with doing laundry or dish washing.
These and other valuable objects of the present invention are provided by a recycling system having a collection tank for receiving used wash water from a washing machine.
A holding tank is linked by piping to the collection tank with the holding tank having the dual purpose of providing a means of storing used wash water and a further purpose of transferring heat to heat exchange piping located in the interior of the holding tank.
The heat exchange piping in the interior of the holding tank is used as a heat exchange means and receives the used wash water after it has been processed and cleaned by the respective cleaning and processing elements of the present invention. Therefore, the heat exchange piping inside of the holding tank is for accommodating clean and processed water which has gone through the recycling system. The used wash water inside of the holding tank is used as a heat source for transferring thermal energy to the heat exchange piping so as to heat the clean and processed water therein.
A lint/grit separator for removing suspended solids and lint from the used wash water is connected to the holding tank by means of piping. Lint and grit exceeding a specific size are removed from the used wash water by the lint/grit separator so that lint-grit separated water proceeds forward to a lint filter. Suspended solids and lint which exceed a predetermined size fall from the lint/grit separator to a lint/grit collection basket.
The lint filter receives the lint/grit separated water and removes smaller-size lint and grit from the lint-grit separated water. Having passed through the lint filter, lint-filtered water exits the lint filter and continues to an oil absorption filter.
The oil absorption filter removes free oil having a density less than water from the lint-filtered water. Upon passing through the oil absorption filter, the lint-filtered water becomes oil-filtered water and exits the oil absorption filter through piping to a media filter.
Upon the oil-filtered water entering the media filter, suspended solids and various hydrocarbons are removed from the oil-filtered water so that media-filtered water exits the media filter and is channelled to a hydrocarbon absorption filter.
The hydrocarbon absorption filter removes emulsified hydrocarbons and some heavy metals from the media-filtered water so that absorption-filtered water exits the hydrocarbon absorption filter through piping to an activated carbon filter.
The activated carbon filter removes remaining organic compounds including surfactants and soap from the absorption-filtered water so that clean and processed water exits the activated carbon filter.
The clean and processed water upon exiting the activated carbon filter enters a final holding tank where it is connected to piping which branches in twoxe2x80x94with one branch exiting to a cold water server located outside the recycling system and the other branch connecting to the heat exchange piping in the interior of the holding tank.
The clean and processed water upon entering the heat exchange piping is heated by the used wash water which surrounds the heat exchange piping, so that upon exiting the holding tank, heated clean and processed water is channelled through piping to a hot water server located outside of the recycling system. From the cold and hot water servers, water can be re-introduced for use by washing machines for the cleaning of laundry, etc.
The collection tank, holding tank, separator, lint filter, oil filter, media filter, absorption filter, carbon filter and final holding tank are to be viewed as elements of the recycling system of the present invention.
Connected to and utilized by the elements of the recycling system are ozone generators (used to further purify the water channelled through the recycling system), and sump pumps and centrifugal pumps which are used to move water through the system.